In general, the conductive heating wire containing fabric used in rehabilitation equipment is made of metallic material through a bundle of multiple iron wires or multiple carbon fibers or a coil of a single iron wire or carbon fiber that is covered up by fabric. When it is in use, electric current (AC or DC) passes the heating wire to generate heat and provide thermal therapy to the patient who has the injured area covered by the fabric.
Because the above-mentioned traditional heating wire mostly uses alternative current (AC) as power source, it also produces hazardous electromagnetic wave and brings about serious safety concerns. Usually, the heating wire lacks the capability to reach a sufficiently high temperature (the maximum temperature is merely 35˜45° C.). Its heating rate is slow and its heating intensity is not strong enough. It can not provide a satisfactory thermal therapy effect. Besides, in practical use it takes about four minutes for the heating wire to reach the maximum temperature. The heating rate is too slow to assure its performance in cold climate area. Even if the heating wire uses direct current (DC) as the power source, the continuous electric discharge will quickly deplete battery power and fails to provide desirable thermal therapy effect.
Apparently, the traditional heating wire gives the maximum temperature around 35° C., the adjustable temperature range is not wide enough to provide practical value in use. Further, when the power source is AC, space limitation appears to cause many inconveniences. Furthermore, the continuous electric discharge costs significant power consumption. Furthermore, the temperature setting is both non-adjustable and non-displayable, there is no way to know whether the set temperature is reached.
Therefore, the traditional heating wire needs further improvement.
The inventor for the present invention found the traditional heating wire could not function satisfactorily, so it further deteriorate the performance of the product that contains the heating wire. To assure the effect obtained from using therapy or rehabilitation equipment by the general public, the inventor for the present invention invented an innovative “electrically conductive and heating wire containing fabric” through many experiments and improvements on different raw materials and manufacturing processes.